Rail-joint



N. H. ROE.

RAAIL JOINT.

- APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1919.

Patented June 1, 1920.

in veniom- UNITED STATES NOBLE H. ROE, OF MARCELIN E, MISSOURI.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 1, 1920- Application filed July 21, 1919. Serial No. 312,310..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOBLE H. Zion, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marceline, in the county of Linn and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway rails, and more especially to joints between their meeting ends. The object of the invention is to provide a rail joint which will avoid the necessity for forming bolt holes or other openings in the webs of therails, and to have a base plate channeled in its lower face so as to fit over a single tie, over two con; tiguous ties, or perhaps over the two ties and a third one purposely interposed,where'- by creeping may be prevented.

The invention consists in the peculiar formation of the fish plates, the baseplate, and the connections between these elements; and the same is described in its preferred form below and is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure l is a perspective view of the rail joint complete, with one fish plate and the bolts removed; I

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the base plate;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the joint complete with the rail therein.

The ordinary rail comprises an upright web W carrying at its top the ball and at its bottom a base which is made up of two flanges F, and usually the web is pierced near its extremities with two or three holes for the passage of the bolts which attach the fish plates at the rail joint. These holes more or less weaken the web, and it is one object of the present invention to omit them, although in Fig. l are shown notches 1 in the meeting extremities of the webs whereby isfproduced a transverse opening for the passage of a bolt2, the fish plates having registering openings 3 to permit their passage. This construction is not absolutely necessary to the rail joint yet to be described, but it may be employed if desired, and the bolt 2 draws the upper edges of the fish plates well in under the ball B of the rails, while the notches 1 do not materially weaken their webs. It is of course obvious that the webs and the fish plates could have more holes, or holes similar to those usually provided, but it is necessary to the present invention that the base flanges F be formed near their extremities with longitudinal slots 4 as shown. "Underlying the meeting ends of therails is abase plate 5, preferably of greater width than the base of the rails so that it-may be provided along its side edges with holes 0 through which the ordinary railway spikes can be driven into the tie, and this plate is also preferably of sufficient length to span two contiguous ties. Each endis provided with depending lugs 7 having openings 8 through which will pass bolts as yet to be described. The bottom of the plate is transversely channeled, preferably byformin'gv flanges 9 thereon, either integrally orrthrough the attachment of another plate whose 1 edges are downturned into flanges. The latter are spaced sufficiently to'pas's over the ordinary tic so that the plate may overlie'a single tie. The flanges are also respectively spaced sufficiently from the fdownturned lugs? so that two contiguous ties may. be received in the channels thus formed. Also, if desired, a supplementary or thirdtie may be inserted between two ordinary ties'of the roadbed in the intermediate channel, and the rail jointwill thenbe sustained by three ties. The spike holes 6 are appropriately disposed for use in any event.' .7

Formed son or attached to the base plate and upstanding therefrom are two pairs of lugs 14: so disposed. that they engage the openings or slots 45. in the base flanges of the meeting rails, and by preference the lugs are slightly 1 shorter than the slots to permit forIeXpa'nsion and contraction. 'By preference also the: lugs rise from the base plate 5 a greater distance than the thickne'ss of the rail flange F, at best seen in Fig. 3, so that their upper'ends project above the upperfface of such flange. Each fish plate is composed of an upright web 10 and a substantiallyright-angular foot 11 formed; integral fwith and projecting "outward from" the'jloweredge ofthe .web, the lower face of the foot being inclined slightly so as to fit accurately over the upper face of the base flange, and said lower face also being provided with sockets 12 corresponding in size with the openings 4 and registering with them so as to receive the upper ends of the lugs 14:. At each end of each foot 11 the metal is turned downward into an ear 1? pierced with a hole or perforation l 8 adapte'dflto register with the bolt openings--8f above' described, and when the fish plates are applied (whether the bolt 2 is used or not) bolts 19 are finally passed through the registering holes and drawn tight by setting up their nuts. This action draws the feet 11 closely on to the base flanges F of the rails and the webs 10'closely against the rail webs W, and the sockets 12 receive the upper ends of the lugs 'if the latter are sufficiently tall, or in any case the feet 11 overlie the lugs and the openings 4 and shed the water away from the same and to opposite sides of the rail.

'lVhile the drawings show the use of only two sets of openings for attaching bolts 19, it is not impossible for the attaching means to be duplicated at both ends of the joint if found necessary. As above suggested, an intermediate bolt 2 might be employed to connect the fish plates and pass through the hole produced by registering notches in the extremities of the rail webs WV, and if this bolt be used it will probably not be necessary-to employ more than two of the bolts 19. \Vitli the entire structure spiked to one, two or three ties as suggested, creeping and spreading of the rails is next to impossible, and their disconnection from the broken.

joint is also impossible so long as the nuts remain on the bolts 19 and no part becomes I For retaining the nuts suitable nut locks maybe used; and if parts are 1 made of the proper metal and proportions,

they should resist all ordinary strains and last indefinitely. I .Having thus described the invention, what 518 claimed is r v 1. In a rail joint the combination with 'meeting'railswhose base flanges have slots near their extremities; of a base plate below and'other plates above said flanges, certain plates having lugs projecting through said slots and the relatively opposite plates having sockets receiving such lugs, and means for clamping the plates in position. 2. Ina rail joint, the combination with meeting rails whose base flanges have longitudinal slots near their extremities; of a base plate below the other plates above said flanges, certain plates having lugs projecting through said slots and the relatively opposite plates having sockets receiving such lugs, elements depending from all plates and provided with openings adapted to aline, and bolts passing through said openings beneath the rails for clamping the plates in position.

3. In a rail joint, the combination with 4. In a rail joint, the combination,with

meeting rails whose base flanges haveslots near their extremities, of a base plate below said flanges having lugs standing within their slots, fish plates having feet overlying the fianges,-the ends of the base plate being provided with legs formed with bolt openings, depending ears on said feet having perforations registering with the respective openings of the latter legs, and bolts through the perforations and openings and passing beneath the rails. V

5. In a rail joint, the combination with two rails whose meeting ends have openings in their base flanges, of a base plate under- 7 lying said ends and having lugs rising into said openings, its ends being provided with lugs and its bottom provided with transverse flanges spaced from each other and from the latter lugs to produce tie-channels, fish plates having feet overlying said base flanges and depending ears perforated in line with the latter lugs, and bolts through said perforations and the latter lugs and passing under therails for clamping all parts together.

6. In a rail joint, the combination with two rails whose meeting ends have openings through their base flanges, of a base plate underlying and wider than said base flanges and having lugs rising through said openings, its ends being provided with lugs and its body having spike holes beyond the edges of the flanges, fish plates having feet overlying said flanges and first mentioned lugs and depending ears opposite thelugs at the ends of the base plate, and means passing below the rails for connecting the ears with the latter lugs. V

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NOBLE I-I. ROE. [n s.] 

